Same Day Visas for Indian Businessmen Soon: UK

Same day visas to the United Kingdom for Indian businessmen will be rolled out in a few weeks time.

LONDON: Same day visas to the United Kingdom for Indian businessmen will be rolled out in a few weeks time. The British government is in the final stages of ironing out the new visa system, which will make it faster for frequent Indian travelers to visit or do business in the UK.

Speaking to TOI, UK's minister of state at the foreign and commonwealth office (FCO) in-charge of India, Hugo Swire, said: "It is just a matter of weeks before same day visa is rolled out in India. Our signal to India is clear—we are open for business."

Swire accompanied British PM David Cameron during his recent visit to India. He said the trip "was an assault to the senses" with India's colour, vibrancy and buzz being "incredibly intoxicating." India will be the first country where same day visa will be rolled out following which it will be rolled out for China, Brazil, Turkey and South Africa. The same day visa will be more expensive than the general business visa.

The current cost of a business visa for a short-term (up to 6 months) costs Rs 6,650. A long-term visa valid for up to 5 years costs Rs 42,200 while that for 10 years costs Rs 60,900. Over the past five years, on an average, 70,000 business visas have been issued per year to Indians.

UK's home office says the new scheme, announced during Cameron's recent visit, will feature a super priority visa service for regular visitors, trusted business visitors and tier-2 applicants. These visas will be processed in a day and applicants can apply at Delhi and Mumbai.